JEFF NOWAK, Editor-in-Chief–
Southern’s annual Spring Fest kicked off Friday night with a dose of humor.
Comedian Anthony Jeselnik headlined the Lyman Center crowd and said he makes a minor adjustment when performing at colleges.
“I might get a little more offensive, because I feel like I’m teaching as well,” said Jeselnik, who also came to Southern last year as part of the College Humor Tour. “You’re only doing one show and I always like to ask, ‘what’s the thing I should not talk about here?’ and then I like to open with it.”
The show also included comedians Sean Donnelly, who opened, and Joe DeRosa. The comics came to Southern as part of the “Comedy Central on Campus” tour.
DeRosa said he has to make more of a conscious effort when performing at colleges.
“I have to tone down some of my old-mannish cynicism,” said DeRosa. “I have to remember [the audience hasn’t] been ruined by the world yet. Not that I’ve had a bad run, I was just born with this 85-year-old man’s soul.”
Larry Tomascek, director of the Lyman Center, said comedy shows have been a big hit on campus in the past and he continues to try to bring in big names.
Other notable performers at the Lyman Center have included Brian Regan, Kevin Hart and Colin Mochrie.
“We’ve done College Humor a few times and it went really well, but Comedy Central is more mainstream comedy,” said Tomascek. “We get a lot of people when we do the Comedy Central ones that say, ‘you should do more of this.’”
The show was free to Southern students and $10 to the general public.
Donnelly was the first to perform and warmed up the crowd as many spectators filed into the event while he was on stage.
He introduced DeRosa, who drew laughs and cheers from the crowd with his routine, which included jabs at his poor diet and complete lack of self-defense.
Jeselnik, who has performed on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and the roast of Donald Trump, was able to garner the most boisterous response from the crowd as his slower but punchy routine frequently sent the crowd into an uproar.
While admitting many of his jokes are probably not for everyone, Jeselnik said he enjoyed Southern because they received his humor well and weren’t too “politically correct.”
“I remember everyone just being cool, comfortable with who they were and everyone was just ready to laugh,” said Jeselnik, who also said his act does not actually reflect his personality. “I just thought humor-wise the darker stuff and the more offensive stuff was funnier to me.”
Jeselnik also said he wants to do what’s funniest to him and hopes that people “get on board.”
The tour itself is an initiative put forth by Comedy Central to market their content to the college crowd with the description reading, “be the first in your dorm to see the next big names in stand-up comedy.”
Tomascek said Comedy Central gave them a list of performers, and it came down to who was available.
“It’s all about relationships with agencies and if they have opportunities,” said Tomascek. “Sometimes they have really great opportunities, sometimes you just take what you can get.”
This was the first show Donnelly, DeRosa and Jeselnik have done as a group, but said they were all happy to be on the tour and to hae the opportunity to go from school to school and spread their humor.
“It’s not really a focused tour, it’s just kinda who can do what and where,” said Jeselnik. “It’s just nice to have Comedy Central like you.”
